Ryan: Obama needs to act decisively on ISIL

By Leigh Munsil

08/24/14 11:57 AM EDT

The United States needs to act decisively to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Rep. Paul Ryan said Sunday, joining the chorus of Republican voices calling for President Barack Obama to move more forcefully to combat the terror group in Iraq and Syria.

U.S. generals should develop a plan militarily to combat the group, the Wisconsin congressman added, after Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said last week that movements in Syria will have to be part of any plan to defeat ISIL, which is also referred to as ISIS.

"I don't want to hear from the president how he's reacting to events like the Mosul Dam," the former GOP vice presidential nominee and possible 2016 presidential candidate said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "What I want to hear from our commander in chief is that he has a strategy to finish ISIS off, to defeat ISIS. Let's not forget that there are reportedly thousands of terrorists with foreign passports. If we don't deal with this threat now thoroughly and convincingly, it's going to come home to roost. So no, I don't think the president has given us the kind of strategy we need."